Manufacturers

With the launch of the new California 1400 in 2013, and appointment of actor Ewan McGregor as brand ambassador, Moto Guzzi's owner Piaggio is proving its faith in the future and importance of Moto Guzzi. Moto Guzzi: The Complete Story charts the development of the stylish Guzzi bikes and the highs (and lows) of one of the oldest motorcycles marques still in existence. Topics covered include the origins of the Moto Guzzi factory at Mandello del Lario, the oldest motorcycle factory in the world; successes at the Isle of Man TT and races worldwide; the development of the V-twin engine; the De Tomaso years; and the introduction of the iconic Le Mans model.

When Ducati opened its museum the goal was to celebrate the racing heritage and competitive spirit that have driven the company for more than half a century. But the Ducati museum is much more than just a collection of historic racing motorcycles-it is also a state-of-the-art facility designed to present each bike for maximum effect, and a shrine for the thousands of dedicated fans who visit each year.

In Museo Ducati, author Chris Jonnum and photographer Peter Harholdt go inside the museum to profile 25 of the greatest motorcycles on display there. The tour begins with a 1947 Cúcciolo motorized bicycle and concludes with the 2010 Desmosedici GP10 ridden by MotoGP champion Nicky Hayden. Other highlights include a 900 Super Sport prepared for Mike Hailwood's legendary 1978 win at the Isle of Man TT and the 1990 851 that Raymond Roche rode to Ducati's first World Superbike championship. The bikes are shown in stunning detail through photographs taken inside the museum itself. Harholdt's carefully composed images capture each model's overall design as well as uncovering details of engines, frames, suspensions and other components. And the detailed text by Ducati insider Jonnum explains each bike's contribution to Ducati's long and varied record of racing success.

If you're lucky enough to have visited the Ducati Museum, this book will bring back memories of a unique encounter with the history and people behind one of the great names in motorsports. And if you still haven't been to the Borgo Panigale, Museo Ducati is the next best thing to being there.

The Commando was the main bike in Norton's range from 1968, and was produced until the demise of Norton Villiers Triumph in 1977. The bike featured the unique 'Isolastic' system that rubber-mounted the engine and protected the rider from the twin-cylinder's vibrations. The model range provided the rider with a choice of touring and sporting models, as well as offering special police machines and off-the-shelf production racers. Commandos feature strongly in today's classic scene, and offer excellent performance and spares availability, as well as a vast range of improvements and updated components. This book looks at the history and development of the Commando, gives the specifications and outlines the model changes, and also offers the riding experiences of past and present owners. In addition there is a blow-by-blow account of the author's restoration of a 1971 750cc model that had been re-imported into the United Kingdom from America needing a complete rebuild.

About the author: Matthew Vale started his motorcycling career in 1974 at the age of 16 with an NSU Quickly moped. This was followed by a BSA Bantam and a BSA B25SS Gold Star. He continued riding for a further 10 years. Between the mid-1980s and late 1990s his career and family commitments kept him from biking, but the bug never went away, and in 1998 he bought his first restoration project, a 1970 Triumph Bonneville. He started writing books on classic bikes early in the new millennium. This is his fifth book for Crowood Press.

Paul Ritter's autobiography tells the story of the early days of Superbike racing. Ritter raced a Ducati 750SS and 900SS during the formative days of American Superbike racing. He shocked the racing community by winning the first AMA pro Superbike race he entered. His quick success, good nature and competitive spirit made him one of racing's beloved characters.

His account of those days gives readers an up close and personal look into the days when professional racers in the sport were weekend warriors who traveled on shoestring budgets and fueled their bikes with passion and (if they were good) a few dollars of winnings. Ritter tells of racing with legends like Reg Pridmore, Wes Cooley, Mike Baldwin and Keith Code.

Nearly 20 years after retiring from top-level racing, Ritter was hurt in tragic accident at a vintage race that left him without the use of his legs. His story of dealing with a tragic loss is as powerful and inspiring as his remarkable success on the race track.

Ritter's passion for riding, racing and life carries through his book. For anyone who loves motorcycles or appreciates a great story, Racing the Gods is an engrossing, inspirational tale.

BMW began its life in aero-engineering ... as anyone who's ever ridden one of its motorcycles might guess. These are bikes as close to airborne as any get. And what's more, 50 percent of all the motorcycles BMW has manufactured are still flying down the world's roads. These are the best, and in this book, the best of the best get their due, with brilliant, full-color photographs of BMW’s classic models and detailed descriptions of their features, all located within the context of a concise history of this legendary marque. From the first engines that brought BMW its first fame, these are the bikes that made history ... and, better yet, gave the most demanding riders a taste for flight.

More than 60 years ago in Bologna, Italy, a small company called Ducati began manufacturing simple, inexpensive 50cc motorcycles … really no more than 2-stroke-powered bicycles. Since then, Ducati has evolved into one of the most storied names in the motorcycling world, its lineup of beautiful machines revered for their technical excellence and extreme performance. In The Art of Ducati, Ducati expert Ian Falloon teams with renowned British photographer James Mann to present a gorgeously illustrated, wonderfully curated review of more than six decades of Ducati excitement. From the single-cylinder bikes of the 1950s and 1960s to the bevel-drive twins of the 1970s and early 1980s to the high-performance bikes of the 21st century, The Art of Ducati showcases a motorcycle marque that has never rested on its laurels. Ducati's style and technology have constantly evolved, engineering timeless classics like the 900SS, Darmah, Mike Hailwood Replica, 851, 916, Monster, and ST sports touring series, bikes that laid the foundation for today's cutting-edge models: the Panigale superbike, Multistrada adventure bike, all-new Monster, Hypermotard, and Diavel power cruiser. While there's no end in sight for Ducati's dominance, The Art of Ducati pays homage to their past six-plus decades of masterful motorcycle engineering.

A lavishly illustrated and definitive look at the design evolution of the racing motorcycle. The dynamic between competition and design has always fueled the evolution of racing motorcycles and inspired astonishing feats of design and engineering. This book traces the development of the sport bike, from the earliest French motorcycles to the dominance of British machinery in the 1930s, the exotic Italian motorcycles of the 1950s and 1960s, the influence of American racing in the 1970s and 1980s, and today’s Japanese superbikes.

More than 50 classic motorcycles — from Harley-Davidsons to Peugeots, Velocettes, Moto Guzzis, BMWs, Kawasakis and Ducatis — are presented chronologically illustrated with stunning studio photographs that present the machines as works of art and wonders of design in themselves. They are accompanied by rare and beautiful archival images that place the subjects in the context of classic races, rallies and motorcycle shows, and essays reveal the legends behind the machines. Some of the championship motorcycles featured include the 1902 Manon, the 1922 Harley-Davidson 8-valve, the 1935 Terrot 500, the 1948 AJS Porcupine, the 1954 Moto Guzzi V8, the 1965 Honda GP 250, the 1976 Suzuki RK67, the 1986 Cagiva GP and the 1990 Ducati Supermono.

About the Author Phillip Tooth has been a journalist for more than 20 years. For 10 years he was editor of U.K. magazines Classic Bike and The Classic MotorCycle, and also Motorcyclenews.com, before becoming a freelance writer so that he could spend more time with his motorcycles. He now writes for magazines throughout the world, including Klassic Motorrad (Germany), Moto Légende (France), BMW Bikes (Japan), Motorcycle Classics (US), and Motor (Netherlands). Jean-Pierre Pradères ran a studio in Paris where his clients included famous fashion house Hermès, and now devotes his time to photographing motorcycles and bicycles. His work has also been featured in the Guggenheim's The Art of the Motorcycle and The Golden Age of the Hand-Built Bicycle.

Love them or loathe them the three-wheeler, Cycle-car or even Tri-car has had an important impact in the development of the present day motor car. From the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution to the concept cars of the future, these vehicles can hold their headlamps up with pride. They were present at the birth of motoring and possibly may be the answer to the future, because of the constant depletion of the Earth's energy resources.

The first self-propelled vehicle in the world was a steam-powered three-wheeler developed by Frenchman Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot in 1769 with, over a century later in 1885, a Benz three-wheeler being the first recognized machine to be powered by a gasoline engine.

From pioneering machines such as John Knight's 1896 Petroleum Tricycle and Nazi scientist Count S. von Teleki's WWII Bubble Puppy to the modern sporting vehicles of Razor Cars and the iconic Morgan three-wheeler, this fascinating chronicle covers more than 1,000 models from more than 450 manufacturers.

Vehicles from such varied manufacturers as Allard Clipper, Brütsch, Heinkel, Singer and Zündapp combine with the innovative 1933 Dymaxion-built streamlined three-wheeler, Daihatsu delivery trucks, the 1938 USA-built Trimobile and Reliant's much-loved Robin to bring to light the story of hundreds of remarkable three-wheeled vehicles.

Organized by manufacturer and including full details of all models and more than 470 photographs (together with an introduction by Charles Morgan of the Morgan Motor Company), The A-Z of Three-Wheelers is a comprehensive guide to this classic mode of transport.

CLEARANCE ITEM. PREVIOUS RETAIL PRICE WAS $79.95 AVAILABLE ONLY WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!

Although manufactured for only one year, 1974, the Ducati 750 Super Sport was immediately touted as a future classic. It was a pioneer motorcycle – expensive and rare, and produced by Ducati’s race department to celebrate victory in the 1972 Imola 200 Formula 750 race. Owing to its uniqueness and rarity, the 750 SS has become extremely expensive and desirable, fetching prices beyond the most expensive contemporary Ducati; for Ducatisti, it is the Holy Grail.

The Complete Book of BMW Motorcycles is a thorough year-by-year guide to every production machine ever built by Germany's leading motorcycle manufacturer. All the classic bikes are here: pre-World War II BMWs such as the R5 that defined performance in that era; the military R12 that carried the Wehrmacht as it blitzkrieged its way across Europe; the Earles-forked R69S that offered the perfect platform for mounting a Steib sidecar; the R90S café racer; the K1 "flying brick"; and the GS (Gelände Sport) series that launched a dual-sport revolution, right up to today's world-class S1000RR.

All of BMW's bike families are covered: the side-valve machines from the early years, the early overhead-valve performance bikes, the postwar Airheads and Oilheads, the four- and six-cylinder touring bikes, the early pushrod singles, the modern overhead-cam singles, the latest parallel twins, and inline four-cylinder sport bikes. From the first model, the R32 that launched BMW's motorcycle dynasty, to the latest (and fastest) model, the World-Superbike-dominating S1000RR, The Complete Book of BMW Motorcycles captures nearly a century of motorcycling excellence with a combination of historic and contemporary photos.

Complete technical specifications for each model make this book a must-have for any serious BMW aficionado. Don't miss the most thorough reference to these outstanding German motorcycles available today!

Take an authoritative, thorough and heavily illustrated look at Triumph motorcycles, from beloved classics to popular new models!

What do Marlon Brando, James Dean, Steve McQueen, Bob Dylan, and Arthur Fonzarelli all have in common? All of these men define the very essence of cool, and all have owned Triumph motorcycles.

Originally formed as a bicycle company in 1885, in 1902 Triumph produced its first motorcycle, which was simply a bicycle fitted with a Belgian Minerva engine. From there, the company, in various iterations, went on to build some of the most iconic motorcycles of all time.

For the first time ever, The Complete Book of Classic and Modern Triumph Motorcycles 1937-Today collects all of the motorcycles from this iconic brand in a single volume. Written by respected Triumph expert Ian Falloon, all of the major and minor models are covered, with an emphasis on the most exemplary, era-defining motorcycles, such as the Thunderbird, Tiger, Trophy, Bonneville, and new machines such as the Speed Triple, Thruxton, and Daytona 675.

The Complete Book of Classic and Modern Triumph Motorcycles 1937-Today will also feature important non-production models and non-factory racing and speed-record-setting motorcycles that have become integral parts of Triumph's stellar reputation. This is a book no Triumph fan will want to be without!

From the single-cylinder bikes of the 1950s to the high-performance sport bikes of today, The Complete Book of Ducati Motorcycles showcases the entire spectrum of Ducati. This book traces the stunning chronology of the motorcycles dreamed up by Ducati, from the 1950s to the present day. Laid out for the first time in the form of an encyclopedia, with gorgeous photography and insights from Ducati expert Ian Falloon, this book offers motorcycle enthusiasts a closer look at the craftsmanship, power, and beauty of these extraordinary motorcycles. The book features all of the motorcycles from Ducati's storied history, including the groundbreaking Desmodromic 750 Super Sport, the Mike Hailwood Replica, the Superbike-dominating 916, and the epic Panigale. From the street bikes that gave birth to the very notion of the modern superbike to the racing motorcycles that dominated tracks in Great Britain, Europe, and North America since the latter part of the 20th century, The Complete Book of Ducati Motorcycles runs the full gamut of sportbikes. It's a collection that demands shelf space in the library of any true motorcycle collector or fan.

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